Don't Hold Your Breath
by Minx of Lynex
Summary: How did Draco find the Room of Requirement? We're about to find out.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters.

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It was unconventional the way he found out about his hideaway. Though he couldn't help but think that it was meant for him to find. That it opened because the magic somehow knew that he was in dire need of a place to escape. To get away from the trials that he faced every day and the decisions that he was being pressured to make.

Letters came every week from his father, demanding to know if he'd decided to bring his family honor. Parkinson hung on him smirking at the students of Hogwarts as they traveled through the halls, bringing the illusion that they were an item. Confused glances from his darling Astoria, begging to know if his affection was just a game.

That night, everything had become too much. He'd run from the Slytherin common room, leaving behind the questioning looks and meaningful glances. Portraits blurred as he darted through the winding halls, getting lost in the maze of stone. Stairs flew by and fixtures blotted out, only stopping when he had to catch his breath.

Chest heaving, mouth gulping in air for his burning lungs, he gave a shy glance at his surroundings, praying that he hadn't stopped where anyone could see. Blackened shadows climbed the stone, the only light coming from the few hovering candles. The opposite wall, bare of any décor, was the first thing that seemed off. From what he knew, there was no such wall in the castle.

Starting at a slow walk, he walked to the end of the hall, eyeing the wall in search of a portrait. When he found nothing he turned at back tracked. He hadn't exactly been paying attention when he'd entered this hall, maybe he'd missed something. Once again his search was fruitless and he went back to the middle of the hall, stopping in front of the intricate tapestry that hung on the wall behind him.

There was a clack and then a scrapping of stone against stone, causing his hands to cover his ears as his teeth grated together. The gut jerking sound only lasted a moment before silence rang loudly in the corridor once more. His gray eyes blinked upon as his body loosened from the tense position it had taken. On the wall in front of him was a set of maple French doors, golden handles gleaming in the candle light.

Curiosity coiled in his stomach as he blinked stupidly at the door that appeared out of nowhere, trying in vain to think of what he had done to make it appear. When the door did not vanish as quickly as it had come he stepped forward reaching out for the handle. His slim fingers wrapped around the shinning knob, turning it gently and pushing the door open.

The room appeared to be black as the door shut softly behind him, enclosing him in the surrounding darkness. Just as he was about to cast a lumos, a foreboding feeling in his chest, fire flared to life in a hearth on the wall opposite of him. Light flooded the room, as the various hovering candles and chandeliers lit up. A soft gasp escaped his lips at the ornate décor of the large room.

In front of the fireplace was a large deep ocean blue shag rug that reached to the legs of the pale yellow loveseat in the center of the room. Against the wall to his left were bookshelves that reached to the ceiling and looked to be completely full of a variety of books. On the last wall was a portrait that hung in between two new doors. It was a scene of what appeared to be the very room that he was standing in, with a mysterious man sitting on the loveseat reading a book.

Blinking in wonderment, he stepped forward and opened the first door. Amazement lit in his slate eyes as he looked at the office that lay out in front of him. One wall held shelves of more books and a desk sat in the center of the room on a rug that was very similar to the rug in the living area. The wall behind the desk wasn't a wall at all. It was a window that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, seeing out into the darkness of the black lake.

A flash of orange rushed passed the glass, tentacles smacking against the glass, with the creatures deep yellow eyes peering into the room. He jerked harshly at the sight of the Giant Squid. Not even the window in the Slytherin common rooms would reveal the beast of a fish. It was rare that they even saw the mermaids, but if he wasn't mistaken he could see the merpeople city through the fog of algae.

Shaking his head at the site, he stepped back out of the room and went to the second door. Taking a deep breath, hoping that it would be enough to save him from the shock, he twisted the handle and swung the door open with a flourish. Excitement filled his eyes as they darted around the room that was an exact replica of his dorm room. The only difference however, was that instead of five beds; there was just one large bed against the furthest wall.

The trunk that was pushed against the wall and the chest that was slid up on the last wall were his own from his dorm. He walked to the bedside table to confirm his suspicions. With a slight tug the drawer opened to reveal his favorite book and Dreamless Sleep potion. A snort escaped his throat as he left the room and stood in front of the portrait.

A tall man with dark brown hair and chilling green eyes stood in front of him, no longer on the couch. His robes were a simple black that complemented his figure. There were a few moments of silence before a smirk came to the man's features and he laughed. "You must be the boy that darling has talked about." Confusion welled up in his chest as he watched the man sit in a conjured chair.

"Darling?"

A billowing laugh echoed off of the stone walls as the man leaned back with amused eyes. "Yes, darling talks about you often. Apparently you are quite the frustrating crush, as he calls it." Shock alit in his eyes at the words. Who had been in this room before? And, who would talk about him like that? He wasn't frustrating, just a bit set in his opinions.

"Who is darling? And, what is this room?"

"Darling will tell you who he is when he decides that it's time you know. Only then will you find out." The man's gaze was serious and he knew that he would get no answer. "This room however, is the Room of Requirement. When you walk in front of its wall three times, asking for a hideaway, the door will appear with the room you desire."

"So, the room can change form?"

"If you desire it to be so." At the bland at best answer, he turned away from the portrait and looked around the elegant rooms once more. It was a place that he had been wishing for since the beginning of his third year, a place to get away from the pressures of his heritage and the pressures of how the school saw him.

Taking a deep breath, he cast a tempus charm and gasped at the hovering numbers. It was well past one in the morning. He had to get back before one of his dorm mates woke up and found him missing. Gods knew that they would tell Snape and he really didn't want that. "I must go." The smirk that he received did not help his nervous stomach.

"Of course, you may return any time you wish however young Malfoy." Turning towards the French doors that led out of the room, he gathered his robes around him and placed his hand on the door. For a moment he paused. The rooms had a bed that he could sleep in and he wouldn't have to go back until the early morning. No, if one of his dorm mates woke up it would spell disaster. "Darling was right about you."

The lingering words rang in his ears as the doors shut softly, disappearing with the same grating noise that they had appeared with. Once he was sure that the wall was sealed, he walked quietly down the hall that led to the stairs. No one would know about the secret room if he could help it. It was a place that he could vanish to whenever he so desired. A small smile played on his lips. Oh yes, he liked the sound of that.

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For **The Room of Requirement Competition** by NeverBeenDarkMarked :)

Hope that you all liked it :) Let me know what you think!


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